April 15, 2009

The Dash To Dumb - Special DHS Edition

The DHS has decided that folks who think the Federal government is too powerful or taxes are too high represent a threat to society. Groan. However, the DHS also unwittingly makes the case for higher taxes - with their current budget they are unable to perform simple Google searches and are presenting as "open source" analysis stories that were debunked years ago. One wonders what else these DHS analysts believe that is simply not so.

But before we dive in, Captain Ed captures the sense of outrage; Andrew Sullivan chooses to miss the point and savor an "I told you so moment", exulting in his criticism of Bush's shredding of the Constitution and expansion of the "Surveillance State". Uh huh - the problem with this DHS study is not that they are threatening extra-Constitutional surveillance and interrogation of people; it is that they are coming very close to attempting to criminalize non-violent political dissent. That is deeply problematic even if they do it with all the proper warrants.

(U//FOUO) DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremist groups’ frustration over a perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration has the potential to incite individuals or small groups toward violence. If such violence were to occur, it likely would be isolated, small-scale, and directed at specific immigration-related targets.

— (U//FOUO) DHS/I&A notes that prominent civil rights organizations have observed an increase in anti-Hispanic crimes over the past five years.

— (U) In April 2007, six militia members were arrested for various weapons and explosives violations. Open source reporting alleged that those arrested had discussed and conducted surveillance for a machinegun attack on Hispanics.

— (U) A militia member in Wyoming was arrested in February 2007 after communicating his plans to travel to the Mexican border to kill immigrants crossing into the United States.

The militia story from April 2007 represents a ridiculous failure by the "open source" analysts at DHS, who are presenting a discredited story. Maybe Google can help.

Back in April 2007 the Alabama Free Militia was busted, to much hoopla:

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This morning
in DeKalb, Marshall and Jefferson Counties, the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) spearheaded the execution of
four federal search warrants at the homes of members of a group called
"The Free Militia." During the search warrants, ATF, along with state
and local law enforcement recovered 130 grenades, an improvised rocket
launcher with live rounds, a grenade launcher, a machine gun, a short
barreled shot-gun, two silencers, numerous other firearms, 2500 rounds
of ammunition, explosive components, approximately 70 Improvised
Explosive Devices (IED), and commercial fireworks. Also recovered was
enough ammunition to fill a U-Haul trailer, and over 120 Marijuana
plants. While executing the search warrants, officers encountered booby
traps at one location.

"Deadly explosives have been removed
from these communities due to outstanding investigative efforts,"
stated Alice H. Martin, United States Attorney. "All evidence developed
will be presented quickly to a federal grand jury. We will also ask
that those arrested be detained without bond."

Even prosecutors say the ragtag group called the Alabama Free
Militia had no intended target and was simply stockpiling munitions,
said Boudreaux, who plans to meet this weekend with his client, Raymond
Kirk Dillard, 46, of Collinsville, a supposed major in the paramilitary
group.

"Frankly, I don't think that's a big deal," said Boudreaux. "It seems to be much ado about nothing."

Machine-gunning down hapless Mexicans? Pretty serious stuff. Odd that wasn't mentioned to the defense attorney or in the initial press reports. The Southern Poverty Law Center, not a group that is naturally sympathetic to this sort of behavior, picks up the story:

At a May 1 bail hearing, ATF agent Adam Nesmith seemed to testify that
the government had evidence of the five militia members plotting a
machine-gun attack on Mexican immigrants in the nearby town of Remlap.
Nesmith described a reconnaissance mission the militia allegedly
conducted in Remlap and told the judge, "There was a plan to attack a
group of Mexicans in the Remlap area with their machine guns." The
judge denied bail, and the alleged backwoods militia machine-gun plot
made news across the country. One typical headline the day after the
bail hearing read, "Alabamians planned to machine gun Mexicans."

But there is no mention of any specific plan to kill Mexicans in
the search warrant affidavits or any other court document related to
the Alabama Free Militia defendants, and the ATF says Nesmith's
testimony was misconstrued. [ATF regional director] Cavanaugh told the Intelligence Report that Nesmith did not
mean to suggest that the defendants plotted to machine-gun Mexicans.
What Nesmith meant to convey, Cavanaugh said, is that the militia
members were planning to steal machine guns from Mexicans in Remlap —
not to shoot the Mexicans with machine guns. "The purpose of the
[reconnaissance] trip described by the agent in the testimony was to go
to those Latinos and take their machine guns, which the militia
believed them to possess," Cavanaugh said.

Stealing guns from criminals - the humanity! Or maybe the Mexicans owned them legally? One begins to understand the resentments of an oppressed white guy who is barred from owning machine guns himself and is reduced to stealing illegal guns from illegal immigrants.

Well. It appears that for all their bluster the militia in Alabama don't remember the Alamo:

The informant told the ATF that [militia leader] Dillard repeatedly ordered militia
members to open fire on federal agents if ever confronted by them. But
no shots were fired during the April raids. In fact, Dillard
cooperated, even pointing out booby trap tripwires to bomb squad
agents. "It did surprise me that it went peacefully," DeKalb County
investigator Jones told the Report.

So that is the story of the militia which plotted a "machinegun attack on Hispanics". I'm disappointed that the DHS was not able to unearth any of this with their open source, or even closed source, research. My goodness, a phone call to the BATF could have spared them this embarrassment. Our tax dollars at work.

Let's glance at the last case described by the DHS sleuths:

A militia member in Wyoming was arrested in February 2007 after communicating his plans to travel to the Mexican border to kill immigrants crossing into the United States.

Richard Serafin sounds like a loathsome fool who can stay behind bars, but... the reporting on the death threats is a bit more blurry at both the AntiDefamation League and SPLC sites.

During
the original investigation, Serafin told an undercover Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent that he is the leader of a tiny militia group called the 45th Battalion, 44th
Field Force (Central Wyoming Militia), and of his alleged personal
plans to move to the Arizona/ Mexico border to assist in killing
immigrants.

However, that has changed from their trial coverage, where they wrote:

Serafin
told an undercover U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent,
to whom he also sold an illegal rifle, that he planned to travel to the
Arizona-Mexico border and help border vigilante groups keep out immigrants.

In the ADL arrest story, "Serafin
allegedly told an undercover law enforcement officer that he was
relocating to the Arizona-Mexican border to harm illegal immigrants."

Earlier, [Serafin] told the agent that he planned to travel to the
Arizona border to harm immigrants and boasted that "there may be fewer
illegal Mexicans" after his trip.

I'll bet as much as a cup of coffee that Serafin used the phrase "kick ass", which has subsequently been paraphrased into a plan to harm immigrants. As to boasting that there will be fewer immigrants, well, that would be the point of his mission, but it could be accomplished by scaring people back across the border and discouraging others from attempting to enter. Here is one last account from the courtroom:

[ATF Agent] McFarland, operating under cover, contacted Serafin by the Internet and
expressed an interest in learning more about militias and eventually
buying weapons.

In January, Serafin said he intended to travel to the Mexican border
and harm illegal immigrants after drug runners allegedly burned down
his brother's house in Arizona, McFarland wrote. "He added that he has
a 'bad feeling' about what might happen in Arizona, once he gets there.
Serafin also said there may be fewer illegal Mexicans coming into the
U.S. after he is there."

Geez, for a guy planning mass murder, Serfin sure is bashful about actually saying "kill" or "cap 'em with a nine", or anything a bit more specific. Serafin has "a bad feeling" about what he might do? I have a bad feeling about this DHS effort - I think they are editorializing with this report, and if there are fewer such reports going forward, that would be all to the good.

MORE: Although DHS went 0-2 on actual evidence of militias orgainizing against Hispanics, hate crimes against Hispanics have risen from 2003 to 2007, as compiled by the FBI: 529 offenses in 2003 versus 775 in 2007. For blacks, there were 3,032 offenses in 2003 versus 3,275 in 2007. And I didn't even have to check with "prominent civil rights organizations" to glean that.

WORTH CHECKING: From the DHS report:

(U//FOUO) Rightwing extremist paranoia of foreign regimes could escalate or be magnified in the event of an economic crisis or military confrontation, harkening back to the “New World Order” conspiracy theories of the 1990s. The dissolution of Communist countries in Eastern Europe and the end of the Soviet Union in the 1990s led some rightwing extremists to believe that a “New World Order” would bring about a world government that would usurp the sovereignty of the United States and its Constitution, thus infringing upon their liberty. The dynamics in 2009 are somewhat similar, as other countries, including China, India, and Russia, as well as some smaller, oil-producing states, are experiencing a rise in economic power and influence.

...

— (U//FOUO) Law enforcement in 1996 arrested three rightwing militia members in Battle Creek, Michigan with pipe bombs, automatic weapons, and military ordnance that they planned to use in attacks on nearby military and federal facilities and infrastructure targets.

Hmm. The three arrests almost surely took place in 1998 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), not 1996. Otherwise, the specific point of this example eludes me. From the AP:

In April 1997, Carter allegedly told the undercover agent his objective
was "to attack, create chaos and hold on for three to four days, at
which time the entire country would rise up against the government."

Comments

6. My guess is that the sentiments revealed in the report I read are the tip of an iceberg that the DHS would prefer to keep submerged until it needs to reveal it. This iceberg is the heavy-hand of government; a government with large and awful eyes, in whose heart there is no love for freedom, and on whose face there is no smile."

Clarice, if that's what the bastards are willing to put into writing, just IMAGINE what they're doing under the radar.

I remember when lefties were saying that the way people evacuated the White House during 9/11 showed how poorly that administration was prepared for crisis. What does it say about this one that they are terrified of tea bags?

Clarice- you are a jewel. Many people will never know about the leftwing extremist DHS report--the nuts at Obama's propaganda media (CNN,MSNBC,ABC,NBC,CBS,) only mentioned the tea parties with icy condescension...I wanted to jump through the TV screen and give Anderson Cooper a screaming wedgie, but then I realized he would enjoy it!
Verner-your tea party signs are brilliant!

This thread is too long. Please put up a new one dedicated to the Tea Parties. I think all of the attendees would like to compare notes.

Thank you for your attention!

Everyone else--

The Tea Party in downtown Chicago was very well attended, probably 5-6,000 people there, tons of homemade signs, lots of creative messages and NORMAL people. I see so many weirdos on a daily basis, it's always nice to be reminded that there are decent, normal and conservative citizens in my own backyard. The media will downplay it, but this thing has legs. The "Don't Tread on Me" flag is becoming the semi-official standard of the Anti-Zero/Reid/Pelosi forces. I'm going to go buy one.

After party report from Franklin TN. It was a picture post card evening. The rally was held in the square--which looks like a movie set it is so quaint. The crowd was estimated at 2,000, in little ole Franklin no less. Very well behaved folks. Many mentions of the DHS paper.

My signs were very well received. Several people borrowed them to hold up. An older lady from Germany who as a child lived under Hitler's jackboot took a pic of my Hitler Stalin poster. She said that it was her very favorite one.

A lady told me there were 20,000 in downtown Nashville, and another 2,000 in Wilson county. There were 50 tea parties in Tennessee alone.

Haven't gotten a report from my mom in Memphis yet. My daughter in Baton Rouge said there were around 500 at the La state capital in the afternoon.

Trust me folks, we are not alone! There are many millions who get it just fine, and they are not happy.

The dynamics in 2009 are somewhat similar, as other countries, including China, India, and Russia, as well as some smaller, oil-producing states, are experiencing a rise in economic power and influence.

Hmmm... Sounds like the DHS people are avid Krugman readers. The fact that all of the countries listed are facing much worse economic dislocation from the global slowdown then the US seems to have missed these stellar intel types.

The flag really stands out in a crowd, and it's totally nonpartisan, which is in keeping with the spirit of this movement. Yes, I'm calling it a "movement." I've been observing the political scene since Nixon. This thing is taking off. The Mediacrats won't know what hit them next year. People are pissed, and willing to get off their duffs and do something about it. This is the most activist I've seen conservatives since Reagan.

As an aside, regarding the ad hominem attempts to ridicule the Tea Parties. These J-school dopes think "bandwagoning" equals success. But they have the cart in front of the team. People are interested in this because of what it is, not because of who is involved in it. Seems to me that just about every damn "protest movement" the liberals have run since the Sixties is phony. That's probably why they don't understand why people even bother.

Verner..sounds like it was thrilling! Franklin?? I have family in Columbia and the last time I visited, we spent a lot of time in Franklin! Loved it! My S-I-L spends a lot of her time there, antiquing and a fabric store where she gets her quilting supplies.I remember some old factory/cistern they had turned into a mall--I have a picture of a giant rocking chair with 3 of us sitting together!

Soylent--New Braunfels?? Are you coming to central Texas, soon? Great little German town with lots of bakeries and beer! The big draw is the Guadalupe River and Gruene(where George Strait got his start) We used to go every year when the girls were young--they still go and have a ball-Schlitterbahn Resort & Beer Gartein is a must! And at Gruene Hall--no tango, but lots of Texas Two-Step and good restaurant carved out of the river bank rocks and trees ,serving beer and very good margaritas! My girls will be there July 20/25, I think.

Clarice, I think it was much higher. Remember, there are loads of mid sized cities that may not even be counted yet. And I honestly think from some of the aerial photos I've seen that the crowds are underestimated.

Remember, this was on a WORK DAY, many of the gatherings were unstructured, and the crowds tended to ebb and flow.

Hey, O'Reilly is showing the Roesgen clip now. Damn, she's interrupting the guy she's interviewing. What a total snot.

I'm so glad CNN has reporters like Roesgen. There's nothing that endears Americans more to a network than seeing a snotty stuck-up flat chested plain faced ivy-league looking info-babe acting ugly and condescending to a nice looking regular guy holding his kid and trying to make an intelligent point about liberty and taxes while invoking Abraham Lincoln.

Having served as a 'mustang', i.e., enlisted BEFORE getting a commission, I'm well aware of the differences between the two oaths.

My point with respect to the officers' oath is that they are required to respect the Constitution of the United States over ALL thinks. That includes the President of the Untied States and the officers appointed over them.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. As for failing memories.....don't feel like the lone ranger. At yesterday's tea-party, I was interviewed by the newspaper for the 'extreme' banner I was carrying, which ready....

Stop the Insane Jackasses.

During the background information asked me by the reporter, I gave him an incorrect age.....TWICE!

New Braunfels is a lovely spot for a compound, Soylent! Haven't been tubing on the Comal in years but it is always tops. I have been to a couple of the bakeries but I have yet to try the sausage. And I love Gruene Hall - my husband's band is playing there in June fwiw.

Dumbass, this is the kind of thing people were worried about under Bush. We tried to get you to imagine what the powers Bush was claiming would be like under President Hillary Clinton, but you wouldn't listen. I have absolutely no sympathy.

I have a hard time seeing where the outrage at this article is coming from. His example of Hillary Clinton getting power and having the same extra-constitutional powers that GW Bush appropriated is particularly apropos. We as conservatives failed in protecting liberty when the Republicans held power. Protecting liberty should be our foremost concern. As much as it can stick in your craw to admit it, this is one area where Sullivan has been right and we (general, no specific of course) have been out to lunch for a long time.